Catholic Conference of Ohio

The Conference represents the Church's position before the Ohio General Assembly, various state departments, bureaus, agencies and other organizations. The Conference also provides facilitation, coordination and joint programming for diocesan groups involved in various Church ministries.

Established in 1945, the Catholic Conference of Ohio is the second oldest state bishops' conference in the United States (New York was the first). Originally known as the Ohio Catholic Welfare Conference, the Conference was given its present name by the bishops of Ohio in 1967.

There now are Catholic Conferences similar to Ohio's in forty-two states.

The policies and activities of the Catholic Conference are governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of every Roman Catholic Bishop exercising jurisdiction in Ohio, as well as the Bishops of the Parma Byzantine Eparchy, Romanian Catholic Diocese of Canton, and Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Parma. 

The Archbishop of Cincinnati, as head of the Province of Cincinnati (the territory of the State of Ohio), acts as chairman of the Board of Directors.

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There are four departments within the Catholic Conference of Ohio. They are:

Administrative Services, Education, Health Affairs, Social Concerns

Departmental membership includes clergy, religious, and laypersons engaged in related activities from each of the dioceses of Ohio. These groups elect their own chairpersons and other officers as needed. A staff person is assigned by the Conference for each of these departments.

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